Payments startup Stripe is adding support for China's Alipay and WeChat Pay, making it easier for Chinese customers to buy from Western businesses.

Mobile payments make up 71% of Chinese online sales, Stripe said, but customers there prefer mobile wallets to credit cards. Between them, Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat Pay have more than a billion users and a 91% share of China's mobile payments.

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Such payment systems aren't easily accepted outside of China, though rival PayPal has previously teamed up with China UnionPay, a local credit and debit card provider. Stripe has previously supported Alipay, but only for American stores.

“By deepening our existing partnership with Alipay, and launching a new partnership with WeChat Pay, we’re enabling businesses to easily access the once-impenetrable Chinese market, and in the manner Chinese consumers prefer," said John Collison, president and co-founder of Stripe, in a statement.

Stripe suggested that support for Alipay and WeChat Pay could help British businesses expand into new markets post-Brexit, particularly as Chinese shoppers are so fond of British brands — research from rival PayPal suggested a quarter of British overseas sales are to Chinese shoppers. British startup Deliveroo has used Stripe to extend into 11 countries, now including Hong Kong, where Stripe today launched.

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"If you are an internet business, this unlocks a new vast customer base," Collison told Reuters.

Companies using Stripe can set up Alipay and WeChat Pay support in "just a few clicks" without additional developer work thanks to both being included in Sources, Stripe's payment method API.

Stripe will support recurring payments for Alipay, handy for services or subscriptions, and British companies will receive pounds in their bank accounts. One-off purchases via Alipay are available now, while recurring payments and WeChat Pay remain in private beta.